Life, Amplified

In the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, care, learning, and community come together one patient at a time.

On a recent morning inside the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Audiology and Speech Pathology (ASP) clinic in downtown Knoxville, Rachel Brock sat for a routine appointment she has experienced dozens of times before.

A clinician adjusted the settings on her cochlear implant, fine-tuning the device that helps her navigate the world of sound. Nearby, her young daughter stayed close, occasionally drawing her attention. The visit was ordinary, but it reflected something much larger.

Brock, from nearby Alcoa, has been coming to this clinic since she was 2 years old. As a child, she had weekly speech pathology sessions, and as she grew up, she visited the clinic regularly for hearing aid adjustments.

She received her cochlear implant when she was 28, opening her world even further. "It definitely significantly changed my life," she said.

Many everyday sounds were new to Brock. For the first time, she could clearly hear the crackling of a fizzy soda and the ticking of her car's turn signal. She also discovered a love for audio entertainment, describing herself as a "podcast junkie." But beyond these discoveries, her improved hearing changed something many parents take for granted.

"My daughter was 2½ when I got implanted, and she talked pretty well at that point, but toddlers were always difficult to understand," Brock said. "After my implant, I could hear her voice clearly and understand her words so much better."

Now in her early 30s, Brock credits decades of care at the ASP clinic with giving her the confidence to navigate daily life, communicate effectively, and connect with others more easily. Julie Beeler, program liaison for the ASP department, has had a front-row seat to that journey.

"When she was very young, I was one of the familiar faces from semester to semester. I was her speech-language pathologist and audiologist," Beeler said. "I've had the opportunity to watch her grow into the wonderful adult she is. There's nothing more rewarding than that in a field like audiology and speech pathology, to be able to have those longstanding relationships."

On any given day, Brock's appointment is just one of many unfolding throughout the recently renovated, state-of-the-art clinic that serves patients of all ages and needs.

Across the hall, another patient sat for a hearing aid appointment, working with a clinician to refine settings that would bring conversations into sharper focus. Shortly after in a nearby room, a vestibular evaluation was underway to test a patient's balance and stability, systems often unnoticed until they falter. Each visit is different, but they all share a goal of helping patients better navigate their world.

"One of the things that makes our clinic unique is the breadth of services we offer," said Clinical Professor Steven Doettl, AuD, PhD. "A lot of audiology clinics are focused mostly on hearing and hearing aids, maybe pediatrics as well, but ours is unique in that we offer those services in addition to a very wide variety of specialty services - vestibular services, tinnitus services, auditory processing, auditory electrophysiology, cochlear implants. I think that brings a lot to the education side, so our students get exposure to all these things, but it's also a big service to the community, because a lot of those services are very needed."

In the early intervention services space, about a dozen young children moved between toys and activities, guided by speech pathology students and instructors. The group split into smaller sessions for structured activities, like "food fun," where children practice expressing choices with words or gestures during snack time. The children's parents and caregivers remained actively engaged throughout the session.

"Our early intervention sessions use a caregiver coaching strategy, helping families support their children's social communication at home," said Master of Speech-Language Pathology student Leslie Anderson. "Working alongside early interventionists, occupational therapists, and supervisors, I've been able to see patients regularly, think on my feet, and adapt therapy to each child. Starting early in my training and working with a wide range of patients has been invaluable for my training and future career."

By starting clinical training early, students like Anderson can witness growth firsthand. She recalled a child who, months earlier, struggled to request items or respond to prompts. Weekly sessions improved his self-regulation, enabling him to engage socially.

Doctor of Audiology student Kaitlyn Jones described a similar transformation when shifting from classroom concepts to real-world care.

"Working directly with patients in audiology has shown me that it's about the people as much as it is about hearing," she said. "In class, we learn about the science of hearing, audiograms, hearing aid programming, but in reality, patients are coming here because there's a disruption of their daily life, and we're helping them get back to that."

The clinic's dual role as both a training ground and a community resource is central to its mission. Patients receive consistent, personalized care, often over many years. Students gain experience that prepares them for their future professions. And the surrounding community benefits from access to services that might otherwise be difficult to find.

"Our clinic plays a really big role in the community," said Emily Noss, clinical associate professor and co-director for clinical education in Speech-Language Pathology. "We have families that drive over an hour from very rural settings to receive services here. We do serve a lot of families that are local to Knoxville, but I think we do make a big, big impact for people in those rural communities as well."

For Rachel Brock, the clinic was the starting point of a lifetime of connection, first to care, then to community. Over the years, she has embraced her deafness as part of her identity and turned her experiences into advocacy.

"When I went to college, I got to know people who had grown up the same way I did, and that really made a big impact," she said. "After college, I joined the Hearing Loss Association of America, and eventually I took over the local chapter for a few years with one of my friends. We hosted monthly meetings and helped guide other people through their experiences. It was helpful for them to see that even if you lose your hearing, your life's not over."

In the rooms of the Audiology and Speech Pathology clinic, whether guiding a child through early intervention, mentoring students, or fostering community advocacy, connections are forged every day. Here, the work is about more than hearing and speech. It's about helping people connect with each other, with their communities, and with the lives they want to lead.

This story is featured in the first edition of Health Sciences Magazine, coming this summer.